title: Cardiac lesions in 30 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum chagasi.
abstract: The hearts of 30 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum chagasi were evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically. Myocardial lesions were detected in all dogs, including lymphoplasmacytic myocarditis (27/30), myonecrosis (24/30), increased interstitial collagen (22/30), lepromatous-type granulomatous myocarditis (7/30), fibrinoid vascular change (3/30), and vasculitis (1/30). The parasite was detected in the hearts of 20 of 30 dogs. The number of parasitized cells correlated with the intensity of the inflammation and with the number of granulomas. The results indicate that cardiac lesions are prevalent in dogs with naturally occurring leishmaniasis even in the absence of clinical signs of cardiac disease.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica, Cirurgia e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UNESP, Rua Clóvis Pestana 793, São Paulo, Araçatuba 16050-680, Brasil. Email: marcondes@fmva.unesp.br.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: J H A C
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: P R R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Baltazar
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Biondo
authors.forename: P P M
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcondes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology*; D006652:Histological Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D018314:Leishmania infantum; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary
keywords: dog; immunohistochemistry; leishmaniasis; myocarditis